Conservation & Partnerships
Ranchers Stewardship Alliance Kicks Off Free Rural Resilience Webinar Series
The Ranchers Stewardship Alliance (RSA) is proud to announce the fifth annual Rural Resilience Webinar Series, a free educational program designed to help ranchers and rural residents grow their financial, ecological, and social resilience. This four-part series, held via Zoom on the fourth Thursday of each month from January to April, provides expert insights, actionable strategies, and an opportunity to connect with others who are passionate about the future of ranching and rural communities.
Webinar Schedule:
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Thursday, February 27 – Vermicast 101
Learn how ranchers are utilizing earthworms to improve their soils. Presenters: Kendall Morgan, Winnett ACES & Guest Ranchers
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Thursday, March 27 – Cashing in on Your Cash Crop
What value-added programs actually add value when marketing calves? Presenter: Jessica Sperber, University of Nebraska – Lincoln
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Thursday, April 24 – Managing Risk for Ranching
Get the ins and outs of pasture, rangeland, and forage (PRF) insurance. Presenters: Brad Beck & McKay Erickson, Redd Summit
Each webinar runs from 7:00 to 8:30 PM Mountain Time, featuring a 60-minute presentation followed by a 30-minute Q&A, where participants can engage directly with the presenters.
“We’re thrilled to offer this space for meaningful conversations and practical takeaways,” said Mary Oxarart, RSA Education Program Manager.
Pre-registration is required, and participants will receive the Zoom link upon registering.
Don’t miss this opportunity to connect, learn, and grow alongside others dedicated to resilient ranching!
 Conservation Menu
Do you remember the old Montana Conservation Menu, hosted by the Montana Association of Conservation Districts (MACD)? The go-to resources for all things natural resources grants in Montana? MACD and MWCC have collaborated to give the Conservation Menu an upgrade and a facelift!
 Nominations Open for 2025 Montana Environmental Stewardship Award
Application Deadline: May 1, 2025
The Montana Stockgrowers Association (MSGA) is now accepting nominations for the 2025 Montana Environmental Stewardship Award (ESAP). Each year, MSGA honors a Montana ranch that exemplifies environmental stewardship and demonstrates a commitment toward improved sustainability within the beef industry. The deadline for nominations is May 1, 2025.
MSGA Accepting Applications for 2025 Summer Internship
Application Deadline: February 15, 2025
MSGA is now accepting applications for the 2025 Summer Internship Program. The internship duration will be from May – August 2025.
The MSGA Summer Internship Program was created to provide students with a hands-on experience of the various facets of association event planning and execution, policy development, social media engagement and coverage, and member engagement.
MSF Accepting Applications for the Dr. Raymond Ansotegui Overeducated Cowboy Scholarship
Applications are due February 28, 2025
The Raymond Ansotegui Family, in partnership with the Montana Stockgrowers Foundation (MSF), is accepting applications for the Dr. Raymond Ansotegui Overeducated Cowboy Scholarships, a scholarship formed in memory of its namesake who passed away in 2023, after a seven-year battle with Alzheimer’s. Two $2,000 scholarships will be awarded in 2025.
Montana Grazing Lands Coalition Hires New Executive Director
The Steering Committee is pleased to announce the appointment of Megan Terry as the new Executive Director of the Montana Grazing Lands Coalition (MTGLC). With her extensive experience in rangeland management and supervision of regional grazing lands coalitions, Megan is poised to lead our organization into its next phase of growth and success.
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Snowy Mountain Development
In 2001, a group of community-minded volunteers founded Snowy Mountain Development Corporation (SMDC) as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization to build community and economic capital in a six-county area comprised of Fergus, Judith Basin, Wheatland, Petroleum, Musselshell and Golden Valley Counties situated at the geographical heart of the State of Montana.
Agency Updates
Funding Available Now!
Multiple Grant Opportunities
DNRC administers a wide range of grants and loans for Montana, assisting cities and towns, conservation districts, private landowners, and other groups in managing natural resource issues at the local level.
BLM announces Public Lands Rule advisory committee appointments
BLM fails to finish sage grouse updates before Trump
The holdup in finalizing plans covering nearly 70 million acres of federal rangelands in all 10 Western states is linked to the agency’s inability to resolve objections raised by the governors in those states.
 NRCS Plant Materials Centers Support the National Seed Strategy
Native plant communities are nature-based solutions that provide essential environmental benefits, such as buffering against extreme weather, improving soil health and water, and conserving biodiversity. A new progress report showcases how partnership and federal investment have advanced the National Seed Strategy, a pragmatic tool for restoring healthy ecosystems.
Snowpack Rebounds After a Slow Start to the Winter Season
Water year 2025 got off to a dry start in the mountains of Montana and northern Wyoming with minimal precipitation recorded across the region for the first half of October. Moisture arrived in mid-October, but abnormally warm temperatures meant it fell primarily as rain or a mix of rain and snow, even at upper elevations. For most basins, the first snow at all elevations occurred late October. November brought a mixture of snowstorms that benefitted the mountains of southwest and northwest Montana, while drier conditions were experienced elsewhere.
 Montana State graduate students publish new explorations of wheat stem sawfly management
Two graduate students in Montana State University’s College of Agriculture have published new research on two aspects of management for one of the region’s most damaging agricultural pests. Wheat stem sawflies cost agricultural producers millions of dollars in losses each year, according to the Montana Wheat and Barley Committee.
 Public Comment Opportunities
 USDA Grants More Than $70 Million to Protect Crops and Natural Resources
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is announcing an investment of more than $70 million in 357 projects in Fiscal Year 2025 through the 2008 Farm Bill’s Plant Protection Act’s Section 7721 program. The work will strengthen the country’s defenses against plant pests and diseases, safeguard the U.S. nursery system, and enhance pest detection and mitigation efforts. Universities, states, Tribal organizations, federal agencies, and others will manage these projects in 49 states, Guam, and Puerto Rico.
 Free Tax Education Webinar
I need to choose WHAT? Join Rob Holcomb from University of Minesota for a webinar discussing the different types and characteristics of formal ag business entities. He will provide an overview of their advantages, disadvantages and tax implications.
Podcast Corner
Lessons in Agriculture Conference Hosting
Have an agricultural conference in your future? In today's podcast, we chat with two women who have been actively involved in Montana's Next Generation Conference. Started in 2010, this one-day gathering is packed with 36 distinct educational opportunities!
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The Rancher's Voice
Montana Stockgrowers Association (MSGA) is a grass roots non-profit membership organization with a 140-year history of advocating on behalf of Montana cattle ranchers to ensure cattle ranching remains relevant, safe, & a sustainable way of life for generations to come.
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Research Center
To make the 406 Rangelands newsletter more reader friendly, the "Research Center" section has been permanently moved to the Rangeland Resources Program website. You can access it here.
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